Manic ‘Midsummer Night's Dream’ makes merry at APT

The Capital Times | Lindsay Christians | June 28, 2025

What a dream was here! A pair of Pucks usher audiences to play in the woods, as “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” returns to the American Players Theatre Hill stage this summer.

David Daniel, a core acting company member/educator/play adapter, leads the fantastical Shakespearean comedy that launched his APT career 26 years ago with this production, running through Oct 5.

Audience materials refer to “Midsummer” as APT’s “soulmate play.” The Spring Green repertory company has put it up nearly a dozen times.

With so many variations gone before on this very stage, the need to reinvent and reinterpret can push things in weird directions. These moments are either delightful (a romance among the tradesmen-players!) or needlessly confusing, further clouding Shakespeare’s 429-year-old words.

The most successful spin in this 2025 “Midsummer” is a double whammy: two Pucks, played by the irresistible capering combo of Joshua M. Castille and Casey Hoekstra. Using American Sign Language and spoken word, they make a meal of Puck’s mischief.

Read the full review here.